


Katadesmos

by Lukediedforoursins



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Batuu, D23 inspired, Force battle forms, Other, a little angst because reylo without angst is pasta without cheese, that's what happens when a scrap of cloth sticks to your mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 05:22:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20577164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lukediedforoursins/pseuds/Lukediedforoursins
Summary: So, this is what happens when, of all the avalance of new information we got in the D23 special look video, what really stuck with me what a single red piece of cloth around Rey's palm.And Black Spire and the world of Batuu comes out.Yeap, the mind makes weird connections, and mine specializes in them.





	Katadesmos

The spires of Batuu.

Tall.

Imposing.

To hear the locals tell it, they were not truly stones, but the petrified remains of ancient trees, the giants that once covered the whole surface of Batuu.

Given that tiny flicker of the Living Force remaining bound in the stone, Rey was inclined to believe them.

It was the whole planet really, not just the spires, that emitted so much of the Living Force. Not even Takodana had felt so alive, the forests here were a true riot, a bombastic ecosystem of plants and bugs and animals teeming with smells and sounds and a thousand vibrant hues.

One would think that, for someone used to the deafening silence of the desert like Rey, all that pandaemonium would be disorienting. Yet it was the exact opposite, the myriads of different Force-signatures mixing all together to create one single hum, a deep and rich wave that resembled those white noise sound machines some Resistance members used to help them relax at times. That was Rey’s white noise, the joyous riot of all living creatures that helped her mind quiet and delve into a meditative state, the serene concentration that made studying the Jedi texts or lightsaber forms easier.

** _If only it wasn’t so humid_ **, she thought to herself as she was preparing herself for the training. 

** _Or if it wasn’t for these kriffing ticks!_ **

Rey was in a testy mood that morning. Given how she once dreamt of water on Jakku, she had not expected to find the climate of Black Spire simple unbearable. 

The heat was so different here from Jakku. 

In Niima the winds would blow hot enough sometimes that Teedos claimed they could bake skin to leather within minutes. Yet, so far as she wore her light and airy dessert garb, covered her skin and had her water canteen on her, Rey could go on scavenging from dawn till dusk, her energy fed as much from the fear of starvation as much as from the need to shake off the cold of the night.

In Batuu though, while she understood the temperature was even thirty degrees lower, the heat was all-consuming. It was as her energy was being sucked from her very bones. 

The Resistance was still too short on credits and supplies, so they had to strictly cut down their use of resources down to only the bare necessities. Which meant they had to practice strict energy reservations on both the base and the ships, relying on the local architecture, using the temperature modulators of the Falcon only when it was absolutely necessary.

** _To think that I would miss the Falcon’s dehydrator, that rickety jumble of parts works only by sheer luck and the adhesive power of Porg dung, who, me, Rey of Jakku, the most resilient scavenger of Niima. I must have grown spoiled in all that luxury_ **, Rey ruefully though at herself.

Maybe it was because most nights she failed to sleep well. The stone walls of the base were thick with small windows, like Maz’ Castle back on Takodana. She supposed it was meant to keep the heat at bay, yet it seemed the only thing they did was making for some blessed cool hours in the dead of the night, before the impending sunrises would rise the sticky heat again.

Yet everyone in the base seemed not to share Rey’s predicaments. Poe, a native of the jungle planet Yavin IV, definitely slept less than her and yet her was engagingly spry every morning, fresh like a grass blade in the crack of dawn. Finn too would disagree with herself, after a lifetime of recycled ship air. Rose too liked it here, if her light snores at night and dewy cheeks in the morning indicated deep and restful sleep. 

Even the General, for all the toll her exposure to radiation and the daily struggle to simply survive another day took on her seemed better now that they were planetside, confiding in Rey once that she never truly felt at home aboard ships, even in the Falcon.

A good woman, the General, Leia, she always made a point of speaking with every member every now and then to keep the spirits up and learn first-hand their troubles and what she could do to alleviate them.

She took special care of Rey, calling her for tea every other afternoon and spending time together teaching what she knew of the Force, translating the newer sections of the texts or simply sharing stories of her adventurous life, of her days in Alderaan, of Han and Luke and their adventures, of the Senate and of Ben. Sometimes she laughed, sometimes she was steeped in sadness too deep for tears. Most times, she was just nostalgic, her face showing her weariness of the world and lingering glimmer of hope all at once.

Rey felt ashamed every time.

Leia was no fool and strong in the Force besides, Rey could tell she guessed more than she let on. Yet she was a magnanimous soul, and whenever Rey brushed aside her concern on her constant exhaustion by the excuses of too rigorous training, the heat, the ticks or jokes on Rose’s snoring and the possibility that it was actually Finn sneaking into Rose’s bunk, the older woman would just play along and laugh, even if her gaze betrayed she was not entirely convinced.

How can you tell a mother it was her son haunting your days and nights, his constant presence always a reminder of your failure, his pain and fatigue and rage and sadness and the worst of all, in the longest dark hours, his softer side emerging, the sadness and the longing and the guilt, oh so much guilt, it felt like a boulder on Rey’s chest cutting off her breath, her own heart bleeding at his misery yet her resolve still strong, his salvation was not hers to give.

Not that it made her pain and sadness any lighter.

** _Enough with idle musings, I have a form to perfect and it will be too hot soon._ **

Rey centered herself, taking deep, rhythmic breaths, in from the nose and into the chest and out of her nose again, breathing in the smell of wood and wet soil and early blooming flowers as she cleared her thoughts. She bound around her left palm a bright red cloth scrap Roxi had lent her to absorb her palm’s sweat and keep her grip on the saber’s hilt steady_ (one of the many practical tips she had picked up from the Gatherers) _ and begun with the opening stance.

It was Form VI, Nima, for today’s training, the wordplay with Niima always amusing Rey. It was a good choice for days like this, the more relaxed focus on refined blade work and the variety of incorporated forms fitting the ragtag style of fighting she had taught herself already, while it allowed her to further practice her lifts. 

Efficient. 

Utilitarian.

Deadly in the right hands.

She had truly calmed herself and was ready to delve into the more meticulous Form IV, Makashi, when the telltale sound of the void rang in her ears.

Not again.

Ben was in front of her, no longer a dark blurr at the periphery of her sight, but solid and clear, like that night on Ach-To.

** _Like that day on Crait._ **

“Rey”.

She ignored him.

“Rey, I know you can hear me.”

She kept practicing her forms, acting as if he wasn’t there.

“You are right to have ignored me for all that time. I deserve it.”

Well, that was new. His voice was quiet and he was directly addressing her. Definitely unlike the angry ramblings and snarls at his underlings she was used to from him during the day.

She stole a glance as she turned to the side. His head was bowing down, his eyes downcast and solemn. His face was even paler than she remembered, almost ashen, the bags under his eyes so dark they looked almost like bruises. He looked… tired. Defeated.

Scared.

“Rey, I ws blind all those years, blind and ignorant! I… I thought the First Order was the answer to the Galaxy’s plights, that Snoke could help me find the peace I longed for, that the battle inside me would stop… And then you came along, and for the first time I, I felt…

Nevermind what I felt, it makes no difference to you.

Rey, I realised it was him all along, him who tore me apart, his whispers poisoning my mind all those years… They were so loud, the voices, in their softness. It’s so quiet now. Quiet and empty in my head.”

Rey faltered for a moment, betraying her attention to him.

He must have noticed, but he was chivalrous enough not to call her out on it.

“I thought I was free when he died and the voices quieted. When we fought the Praetorians, oh Rey, it felt like I had a purpose for the very first time in seven years. Please Rey, believe me, I never planned any of this to happen, I just couldn’t let him hurt you, I couldn’t bear to,” she felt his eyes on her, his voice cracking,” it… it killed me to see you suffer.

The idiocy of ruling the Galaxy together came afterwards.”

What?

She stopped and turned to face him for the first time in one year and a half.

“What do you want, Ben?” she snapped at him.

For a second there was a flicker of satisfaction in his dark eyes, like he was pleased with himself.

** _And was that … joy? No, not joy, Ben Solo is as alien to Joy as Goazon is to snowstorms. No, it was something else._ **

** _Relief._ **

** _Whatever for._ **

He gathered himself and kept on, his face open and pleading.

“ Rey, I will never find an apology adequate enough for all the agitations I have inflicted upon yourself…”

“Oh cut the poodoo and your fancy words Supreme Leader, what do you want?” she cut him. ”The answer is still no, by the way, if you ask what I think you are asking,” she added sarcastically.

“No, no, I will never ask you to join me in ruling the Galaxy, it was foolish of me to, I would never wish that fate on anyone anyway. Well, maybe Hux and Pryde, those groveling worms…”

“Focus, Ben, focus!”

“Yes, sorry. Anyway, what I wished for was a folly, no, not a folly, blasphemy, a further shame in my pile of sins! Fortunately, my eyes have been opened now. It is all inconsequential and petty concerning what is coming for us.”

Brief thoughts flashed in her mind through, of a giant fleet of Star Destroyers, of a Force storm, of a dark clad form, hooded, a pale face and waxy skin, a double-bladed lightsaber folding out…

** _Is that...me?_ **

** _How?_ **

And a darkness, a terrible darkness, menacing and malicious beyond compare threatening to consume everything…

Rey gasped and took a step back.

“What was that?”

“I consulted with an oracle a few days ago, the reason for is unimportant,” he slightly blushed, “and instead the answer I sought I was shown this.”

“What does that mean though?”

“I ‘m not sure, although I have my suspicion. I will have to tell you face to face though, we don’t know how much more time we have in the Bond. And the Resistance needs to hear about this too.”

“Listen up you nerf-herder, if you think that this half-baked, sorry excuse of a plot will get me and the Resistance gift-wrapped in your arms again, I think the blows on your head you got in the Throne Room were more serious than I thought!”

“It’s not a plot Rey,” he snapped at her, his temper flashing briefly, “this is more serious than you me, the Resistance and all that bloody affair! Listen I don’t have much more time, and I have a great deal of planning for what I’m asking anyway. I will just tell you this; I will be in Pasaana in four standard days, alone, please take my mother and meet me there. Should she.. Should she ask for a reason tell her Palpatine is back.”

“What! Palpa-the Emperor?’ Rey whispered in horror.

“In Pasaana. Four days. Please.”

And with a last glimpse of his begging face, the Bond ended.

Ugh, the kriffing Emperor! As if being the Last and Clueless Jedi was not enough, she had the kriffing Emperor to deal with too! 

Angrily, she Force-pushed her saber way, the light blue blade cutting through tree-trunks on the way back to her palm.

Rey sighed, wiped her sweaty forehead with the scrapcloth and wearily took back the path to Savi’s backyard.

As she approached, Roxi’s chair hovered beside her, the older woman in her usual chatty mood.

“Back so soon today,eh? It’s not that hot!”

“Yeah, I have had a … vision I must tell the General at once.”

“A vision? The damned Order’s coming again?”

“No, this is different this time, it’s… you ‘ll probably learn soon enough anyway, but I should tell Leia first. Here, thank you for the cloth.”

“Bah, tis a scrap we use to wipe oil anyway, you keep it, I have a ton laying around on my work table.”

“That cloth, a scrap, that’s too fine and bright for wiping oil in the Falcon! If only it was a little bigger, I could make a scarf of it!"

"Oh well, why don't you tie it on the tree infront of the shop then? It needs a splash of color in all those faded rags."

Yes, she had seen the tree many times and wondered why they had ladden it with cloth scraps. However, Rey had soon learned that the residents of Batuu were proud, despite their dubious reputation and their relaxed attitude to escapees, they took it badly when their customs were questionned. So, she decided to humor the old woman and reached for a branch.

“Wait, wait, you have to make a wish before you tie it! That's what the cloths are for, that's a wishing tree this one, we ask it for things and it takes care of them. Don't ask me how, maybe the spirits owe it favors or something.”

"The Oga of the spirit world?'

'If you will."

Rey laughed. Then she paused, her face suddenly serious, and closed her eyes, the air going suddenly quiet and still around them. Roxi thought she could even feel vibrations, but they stopped as Rey reopened her eyes and tied the red scrap solemnly on a branch. Then she shook her head and smiled, placing a hand on Roxi's shoulder as they watched the thousands of scraps, old and new, blowing in the gentle breeze.

"And what happens now?"

"When the cloth fades away, your wish was fulfilled. The sooner the better."

"Keep an eye on it for me then, we'll need that wish soon enough" said Rey and with a final squeeze, she left Zavi's Workshop for the base.

** _Aye child,_ ** Roxi thought hovering back to her work station, ** _we'll need all the wishes we can get, so we better help Lady Luck's hand a little, _ ** as she reached into a crate labeled ** _ "_ ** **T’mala Biodegradable Workshop Supplies**", picked a vibrant green cloth and started polishing a saber hilt.

**Author's Note:**

> Katadesmos (greek κατάδεσμος, meaning "binding material" ) is a small tablet with invocations written on them to compell a spirit or deity to perform a curse in the Greco-Roman world.
> 
> However, the meaning has since expanded to include all the items used as an invocation of a wish in general, not with explicitely malicious intent, inluding the little tokens (cloth pieces and coins, among others) tied on wish trees.
> 
> The tree mentionned is the Wish Tree outside of Savi's Workshop in Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
